Attachment for fire extinguishing equipment



p 1 3 H; H. HUTCHINSON 2,092,846

ATTACHMENT FOR FIRE EXTINGUISHING- EQUIPMENT Filed Sept. 10, 1936 1 15 262% x f l Patented Sept. 14, 1937 ATTACHMENT 'FOR FIRE EXTINGUISHING EQUIPMENT Howard H. Hutchinson, Akron, Ohio Application September 10, 1936, Serial No.,200

. 7 Claims.

the like, at premises provided with electric wiring systems, constitutes quite often a hazard to the operator handling the same when the-fluid stream discharged therefrom contacts a live wire of such system, the insulation of which has been destroyed. Water or other fluids used in connection with so-called fire extinguishers, or like equipment, are conductors for electric energy; and therefore, the operator of such equipment may receive an electric shock or may even be killed by electric current flowing froma live wire over the fluid stream to his body.

At the present time, office buildings, apartments, factories, or like premises, arev equipped with fire extinguisln'ng apparatus for use in cases of emergency. In the use of such equipmennth e likelihood of injury of theoperator in a manner as outlined above is very frequent because in moments of excitement and peril at the outbreak of a fire the necessary precautions against electrical hazards are not taken .by a layman. 7

It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which may be very advantageously used in connection with fire extinguishing equipment, or the like, to eliminate the electric shock hazard thereof, and to prevent the fiow of electric current to thebody of the operator when the fluid stream discharged therefrom contacts a live wire. ,e

A further object of the present invention isthe provision of a device of the character mentioned herein, which may be readily attached toor detached from the fire extinguishing equipment in connection with which it is to be used.

A still further object of 'thepresent invention lies in the provision of instrumentalities forseparating the stream of the fluid discharged from fire extinguishing equipment into separate sections insulated from each other by air spaces to eliminate the fiow of electric current over the fluid stream. V k

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a rotor member directly driven by the fluid medium handled thereby and provided with blades of a special construction to permit a separation of the fiuid stream into short portions Without splashing ormaterially reducing the speed of fiow of such fluid.

Other and further objects will become apparent from the description and accompanying drawing, in which: V

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the device of the present invention.

Figure 2 shows a rear view thereof.

, (o1.'299 122) The use of fire extinguishing equipment, or.

Figure 3 illustrates a longitudinal section of the apparatus of the present invention, certain parts being'shown in elevation. e e

' Figure 4; is a front view of Figuref3.

Figure 5 showsfa partial sectional View of the device of the' present inventioiif and" illustrates especially the mounting of the nozzle of a fire hose thereon.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic View illustrating the operation of the device. V I V V Referring now to the "drawing, and-especially to Figure 1, I indicates a'housing Orguardmember which is providedwith afpluralityof slots or openings 2. The guardinember I,'which forms a supporting structure for-other elements of the device of the present invention, censi's'ts prefer ably of a cylindricalcasing providedwitha rear wall 3 while the front end of the' c asing isopen, as shown at 4. The rear 'wall 3 co r'riprise s an opening 5 sufficiently large enough for the reception of the front end 6 of a'no-z'zlel of a fire ex tinguishing apparatus, fire hose,f- 'or'the like. As will be seen from Figure 3, the front end of the nozzle '6 extends slightly into the housing or guard structure I A Attached to therear wall 3 of the member I are clamping instrumentalities generally indicated at 8. These, clamping instrumentalities comprise a bracket 9 secured to the rear wall} by means of fastening instrumentalities Ill. The bracket 9 is further provided with a portion II which is bent toproperly fit the configuration, of the fluid discharge means of a fire extinguisher, or the like. The portion I I is adapted to-cooperate with a removable clamping member I2 of similar configuration. The clamping member I2 is secured to the bracket 9 by means 'of screws I3, or the like, to thereby exert a clamping action upon the nozzle] of a fire hose or fire extinguishen' and to hold theguard or supporting structure I rigidly attached to the same. V v

The front. portion of the housing I is provided with a cross bar I4 secured to the latter by means of set screws I5- The member I4 is provided with an opening I6 for the reception .of a shaft l8 diagonally disposed within the housing I and secured to the rear wall 3 thereof at l9, as will be clearly seen from Figure 3. Both ends of the shaft or axis I8 are threaded to permit attachment thereof to the rear wall 3 of the housing 50 I and to permit securing of the same to the cross Mounted upon the shaft or axis l6 which is stationary, is a rotor member 22 which comprises sleeve 23 and the innermost nut 20 on the shaft Hi to prevent longitudinal rotor 22 on its axis l8. r

The blades 24 are provided with a curved portion 26 and diverge from the curved portion 26 which movement of the is relatively thick in cross section to a blade-like edge 21, adjacent the rear wall 3. The bladelike sections of the vanes 24 are provided with cutout portions 28 of a peculiar angular formation as it has been found in practise that their presence facilitates considerably the intersecthefluid during the operation of the device.

The rotor 22 which comprises the sleeve 23 and the blades 24 is-freely rotatable upon-its axis I8, and the nuts 20 and 2| must beiarranged in such' a manner that; the 'sleeve25 is not clampedi againstathe sleeve 23, whichnotherwise would cause undue friction and interfere with the proper operation of the rotor.

As previously referred to herein, the forward end 6 of the nozzle '1 is positionedin such a manner to the blades 24 .of the rotor 22 that when fluid is discharged from the nozzle 1, the same will strike the surface of the blades 24 at an angle and cause rotation of the latter, as will be clearly seen from Figure 6. 5 r

Of course, it mustbe understood thatthe fluid stream will be in contact with only oneblade ata time, while therotor rotates. From Figure 6 it will be noticed-that when the fluid stream 29 strikes the blade 22a, the same will be shifted in a directionas'indicated by an arrow in this figure, and the rotation of the rotor member is thereby produced. The aforementioned rotation'will now bring the blade 22b toward the'fluid stream 29 and will cause the same to cut through the fluid stream with its blade-like edge;21; This causes an intersection of the fluid stream-at that point. The blade 22b continues its rotation, and a following blade again will cut the stream of thefluid discharging from the nozzle 1, and with the rotation of therotor the intersection or the fluid stream continues in rapid succession.

In this manner, the fluid stream is divided into short sections spaced fromeach other, whileit passes through the device of the present invention and its velocity of flow is not materially impaired. a It will, therefore, be'seen that the; fluid stream discharged from fire extinguishing equipment provided with the apparatus of. my invention, will not be a continuous stream; in other words, it Will be separated 'by the device of the present invention into' separate portions with insulating air spaces therebetween. r

Itshould be noted that the intersected stream offluid may be directed against a-live wire or other electrical equipment, under tension without any danger as it is impossible for the electric current to flow over the fluid stream to the body of the operator of the fire extinguishing equipment because of the insulating air spaces between intersected fluid portions.

It will,; therefore, be seen that the device of the present invention may be employed as; a safe means to protect an operator,:offire ex,-

out and.

tinguishing equipment against the hazards of electric shocks, or the like.

The rotor 22, may, if preferred, be manufac tured from a single block of material if this should be desired, to obtain a more rigid and balanced structure. However, the separate production'and subsequent assembly of the parts 23 and 24 may be preferable as such procedure will reduce the manufacturing costs of vthe rotor considerablyf The housing or guard structure I is provided with slots or openings 2, as previously mentioned.

The openings 2 in the guard structure I permit any fluid which may assemble within the housing 1 to freely flow therefrom, and to prevent assemblage of the same within the housing structure, which would interfere withthe proper operation of the device. tion of a fluid stream and prevents splashingof While I have shown a cylindrical housing or guard structure I, the same may be given any strumentality for securing thesame to a nozzle may be employed, which permits a quick detachability, and I, therefore, do notwish to be limited to the specific clamping construction disclosed herein.-

While the specific details of construction have been herein shown and described, the invention l is notconfined thereto, as changes and alterations may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, according to the appended claims. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by-Letters Patent of the United States, is:' 5

1. A deviceof the character described, comprising, in combination, fluid discharge means,

and instrumentalities on said fluid discharge meansvfor intersecting a' stream of fluid dis charged therefrom without diverting the direction of flow of said fluid. 2. A device of the character described, comprising,-in 'combination, fluid discharge means, rotatable fluid intersecting means adjacent said discharge means for intersecting a stream of fluid discharged from the latter without diverting the direction of flow of said fluid, and instrumentalities for connecting said fluid intersecting means to the fluid discharge means. 3. A device of the character described, comprising, in combination, a guard structure, a rotor, means for rotatably supporting said rotor on the guard structure and in angular relation with respect to the same, and instrumentalities for attaching fluid discharge means to said guard structure in-angular position to the rotor for cooperation with the latter and for producing intersection of a fluid stream discharge from the a blade-like edge portion'at their ends opposite the open end portion of the housing, and clamping means on the said housing for connecting fluid discharge means thereto in angular relationship to the longitudinal surface of the vanes, the housing being provided with an opening adjacent said clamping portion for permitting protrusion of the discharge means into said housmg.

5. A device of the character described, comprising, in combination, a cylindrical guard structure having an open end portion and a closed end portion, a cross bar on the open end portion of said guard structure, a shaft diagonally arranged with respect to the guard structure and rigidly secured to the closed end portion of the guard structure and the cross bar, a rotor comprising a plurality of vanes on said shaft, the closed end portion of the guard structure being provided with an opening eccentrical- 1y arranged with respect to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical guard structure, instrumentalities on said guard structure for securing fluid discharge means thereto, said fluid discharge means extending into the guard structure through said opening and being angularly positioned with respect to said vanes for cooperation of the same with a fluid stream discharged from said discharge means for causing rotation of the rotor and intersection of said fluid stream.

6. A device of the character described, comprising, in combination, a cylindrical housing having an open end portion, a stationary shaft diagonally arranged within the housing, a rotatable sleeve on said shaft, a plurality of vanes on said sleeve, said vanes extending longitudinally and radially of the sleeve and being provided with a blade-like edge portion having a recess of angular configuration at their ends opposite the open end portion of the housing, and clampin g means on the said housing for connecting fluid discharge means thereto in angular relationship to the longitudinal surface of the vanes, the housing being provided with an opening adjacent said clamping portion for permitting protrusion of the discharge means into said housing.

7. A device of the characterdescribed, comprising, in combination, a housing having an open end portion, a stationary shaft angularly arranged within the housing, a rotatable sleeve on said shaft, a plurality of blades on said sleeve, said blades extending longitudinally and radially a substantial distance with respect to said sleeve, and clamping means on said housing for connecting fluid discharge means thereto inangular relationship to the blades, said clamping means being provided with a conical clamping portion for the'reception of the fluid discharge means.

HOWARD H. HUTCHINSON. 

